When it comes to superminis, the Ford Fiesta takes some beating.

It’s one of the best all-rounders out there and that’s why it has been Britain’s best-selling car every year since 2009. In its souped-up ST guise though, the car goes to another level of brilliance, with its three-pot 196bhp 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine delivering a 0-62mph sprint of 6.5 seconds.

The Fiesta ST has demonstrated its performance prowess by pulling crazy stunts 400 metres below ground in one of Europe’s largest salt mines. Shot at a secret location, the incredible clip shows the hot hatch slipping, sliding and jumping in the dirt with World Rally Championship driver Elfyn Evans at the wheel.

The sound of the ST’s engine is amplified by its surroundings as it tackles a high-speed drop through the narrow entrance tunnel. Speaking after the spectacular stunts, driver Evans said: “The salt is actually like fine gravel to drive on, quite slippery to be honest, especially on road tyres. “You expect it to be claustrophobic but actually it’s quite the opposite, a great place to really enjoy the new Fiesta ST.”

Fords secret salt mine test track

The secret salt mine location is a 60-kilometre network of tunnels, where temperatures are a constant 16°C and strict safety precautions meant that filming personnel had to be kept to a minimum, with a skeleton crew used for the three-day shoot.

Leo Roeks, Ford Performance director, added: “The drama of the tunnels and the chance to show off Fiesta ST’s ability on a different type of surface were a big part of choosing this unique location. “It wasn’t a typical race track, it was somewhere we could drive this great car to its full potential.”